Make the bet on yourself
INDUSTRY VOICE: John W.C. Robinson, Amusement Today
As Amusement Today starts its 30th year of publication, one has to take a breath to realize all three of those decades happened because one man — Gary Slade — had the courage to bet on himself ... to build something he believed in.
It all starts with that dream, and then the courage to say, ”I'm going to be the one to step forward and make that dream happen.”
This industry is sincerely founded on that simple principle. My father bet on himself, and created the industry's first marketing firm that specialized in family-owned amusement parks. The Knoebel family bet on themselves multiple times, most recently with the belief that it could bring back the classic Flying Turns coaster. Will Koch did it with a vision of a family theme park far grander than his grandfather — and father — had ever dreamed.
Nearly every supplier on the showfloor at IAAPA Expo started with one person saying, “I have an idea, I can do this ... now watch me fly!”
That bet leads to innovation and dedication. Those, hopefully, lead to a first success and then another. Suddenly, the company that was inspired by one person's belief in themselves is now poised to inspire the next person's innovation, the next person's cash-in on their own imagination and experience.
The scenic railway leads to the wooden coaster, which leads to the steel coaster, which leads to inversions ... and then powered launches, 4D, Axis coasters and more!
Find within you the inspiration, the dream that you know will take your world — and that of others — even higher! Then, push your chips to the center of the table!
30 years ... where did it go?
AT NOTEBOOK: Gary Slade, gslade@amusementtoday.com
This April 2026 edition of Amusement Today marks a milestone for the publication as indicated on our cover masthead with the number 30 appearing in our retro black and white logo (which salutes our beginnings and was created with the talents of Eddie Roseboom). It’s Volume 30, Number 1, and the beginning of our 30th year. In that span, Amusement Today has been honored to produce for you 393 issues in the first 29 volumes, totaling 19,300 pages. Issue #400 will be our annual Golden Ticket Awards issue! In that 30-year span, I’ve seen technology start moving away from flip phones, pagers and fax machines to email, websites and now everything from podcasting to live video clips.
The dedicated Amusement Today staff (present, past and those no longer with us) all made the pieces of this monthly puzzle come together; I was just the overseer of the final art masterpiece. I also want to thank YOU — our dedicated subscribers/readers — who continue to make us part of your regular reading. I don’t want to overlook our advertisers, whose loyalty to AT keeps our staff in the field reporting on everything new in our ever-changing industry.
With this issue, AT has also shifted its section coverage to meet the ever-changing needs of our industry. Readers will now find these color-coded sections: Amusement Views (grey), Facilities & Attractions (blue), Business (green), Safety & Operations (orange) and the new Mobile Midways (red). This additional section gives the carnival owners, fairs and festivals their long-requested own section.
There has been tremendous change in how we report and produce the news for you in these last 30 years. Let’s see what the next 30 years have in store! Perhaps a news hologram in the palm of your hand while riding your favorite amusement park ride awaits!
Cheers to these 30 years — and the exciting future that lies ahead!
